Alliance firing for Perth Magic Millions

Media Release - Thursday January 25

Western Breeders Alliance graduates are on fire at home, interstate and internationally ahead of the Perth Magic Millions on February 22 and 23 in the Swan Valley.

WBA leads the vendor list once again with 43 lots and it completed a city double with Madhi Girl (Ascot) and She's Greysful (Gawler) on Saturday before a third strike with Magniac (Hong Kong) on Wednesday evening.

The Alliance of Darling View Thoroughbreds (Brent Atwell), Westbury Park (Phil Ibbotson) and Einoncliff Park (Wayne Beynon) topped Perth turnover for four years in a row before Yarradale Stud prevailed by a narrow margin last year. 

Brent Atwell and the Bivouac - Elouera colt with Attunga Stud's Tahlia Vuleta /  Photo: Fast Track Photography

Darling View has already met the market this year with a Bivouac - Elouera (Street Cry) colt that sold through Attunga Stud to Trent Busuttin for $160,000 at the Gold Coast. 

“It was a good start to the Australian sale season and several of the trainers and syndicators I spoke to are coming to Perth,” Atwell said. 

“We’re breeding good horses and the market is buoyant over here with the Westspeed Scheme.

“Darling View is fortunate to stand an amazing stallion like Playing God.  He sires athletes that are tough with a temperament that makes them easy to train.  They’re not show-ponies but name me a Perth trainer who doesn’t want one.  There’s over 40 catalogued for Perth so there’s a Playing God for everyone.”

Among the WBA highlights is Playing God’s full-brother to G2 WA Guineas (1600m) winner Zipaway.  Catalogued as Lot 24, he’s being offered as agent for the Parnham family and Paula Sullivan.  “He’s a big lad and is probably a bit bigger and stronger than Zipaway at the same stage.”

Advertisement

Atwell is also keen on the I’m All The Talk half-brother to this season’s Belmont winner Costazita (Lot 15) and the Farnan filly from Cafe Scientific (Lot 30).

Last year’s WBA graduate Madhi Girl (Winning Rupert) is a live chance for next month’s RL Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (1200m) following a front-running victory that really impressed her trainer Simon Miller on Saturday. 

“She was unlucky first-up and it’s been six weeks since that run so she’s still big in condition,” Miller revealed.  “It’s a month to the Magic Millions Classic and she will keep improving with another run under her belt.”

Madhi Girl was sold by WBA (as agent) for $68,000 on behalf of Digby Beacham.  The TABradio host bred her from Very Angry Gal (Gingerbread Man) who was an Ascot 2yo winner for Miller in 2016.

She’s Greysful  is a talented mare. Photo: Western Racepix

She’s Greysful opened her interstate account with a powerful victory in the 4 Ways Fresh Produce Hcp (1200m) at Gawler.  The former Perth mare sat three and four wide and was still good enough to grind her rivals down in the straight.

A grey daughter of Vert de Grece (Ire), she was sold by WBA as agent for Bunbury breeder John Cunniffe for $25,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions. 

Former Fremantle Dockers footballer Hayden Ballantyne trained her to win an early-season Ascot nursery and she also looked the winner of the 2022 RL Magic Millions WA Classic (1200m) before being swamped by Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard).

She’s Greysful was subsequently purchased by Gawler trainers Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor for $50,000 at an Inglis Digital Sale this time last year.  “That was a big effort to win today,” Bain declared at his home track.  “She has missed two starts this month because of a track downgrade and a power outage so a 35-day break certainly wasn’t the plan.

“She’s been flying at home and bursting to race.  She was wide the whole trip and was very strong late so I guess it was case of third time lucky.”

Hong Kong handler Jamie Richards completed his first double since April 2022 with G Liner (Siyouni) and WBA graduate Magniac (Lucky Street) at Sha Tin on Wednesday.

Magniac carries Darling View brand to victory at Sha Tin / Photo: HKJC

Magniac was ridden by Hugh Bowman replacing Zac Purton in the Flamingo Hcp (1200m).  “Last season I told the owners he would develop into a quality performer,” Richards recalled.  “He’s a good-looking horse and acclimatised very well.”

Bred by Darling View Thoroughbreds, he cost Trevor Andrews $65,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions and raced as Final Series in Perth where he completed a Belmont hat-trick before being purchased by the EWO Syndicate.

Magniac is the third winner from Top Show (Stratum) who won three times up to a mile at Belmont for Neville Parnham.  She was sold to Darling View for $26,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Winter Sale and her first foal for the new owners was $400,000 earner Brooklyn Pier (Magnus).

Visit the profile page for Playing God

Playing God in upcoming sales:
Advertisment
More Reading...
Savabeel Filly Pointing Towards NZ Derby
With an eye to the future, the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) is the preferred Classic option for talented filly Hinekaha.
Patella Bloodstock - Kneebone builds firepower for training venture
A productive week of shopping at Karaka has helped to put up-and-coming horseman Nick Kneebone on a path towards New Zealand’s training ranks.
Blue Point Colt Chasing Kiwi G1
Next week’s Legends Day at Te Rapa will have a strong international flavour, with Sydney trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald set to tackle the meeting’s two Group One features with a pair of high-profile runners.
The Canonbury takes - Often a Guide to Stardom
Saturday’s Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill has been used in recent years as the starting point for two of Chris Waller’s superstars (neither of them winning by the way) and the race is often one of the autumn’s strongest leads so let’s have a closer look.
Pencarrow Mare Chasing More Black Type
Classy mare Pearl Of Alsace will have an opportunity to get back in the winning groove at New Plymouth on Saturday, tackling the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m).
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
The big guns were in action at Warwick Farm on Thursday morning with the likes of Via Sistina (IRE), Ceolwulf and Fangirl stepping out as well as glamour three year-olds Switzerland, Broadsiding, Private Life and Lady Shenandoah, but they have been well exposed through social media so we’ll stick to the juveniles and they also held plenty of autumn promise.
Whirlwind Week of Racing and Sales for Kingsclere
Roger James and Robert Wellwood experienced a whirlwind of highs across the Karaka Millions and Yearling Sales series this week, a trend they hope to continue back at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Ellis Swoops on Too Sweet Sister for $260,000
Fresh from a pair of million-dollar successes at Ellerslie and another leading buyer title in Book 1, Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis remained in the headlines with some Book 2 fireworks at Karaka on Wednesday afternoon.
Haunui Farm Celebrate Overwhelming Karaka Success
Haunui Farm have been crowned leading vendor of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 Yearling Sale at Karaka for the first time this week following a pleasing set of results, led by the $2.4 million sale of the full-sister to glamour mare Orchestral.
First Season Favourites Karaka Book 1
It was a strong renewal of the NZB National Yearling Sale Book 1 and while the key metrics were down slightly on last year’s record breaking sale it was still a very satisfactory result and there were a number of first season sires that left a good impression with Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) heading his peers on average, while Cambridge Stud’s Sword of State led the